An Update on Early Childhood Caries: A Review

Abstract

Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the rapidly progressing dental carious lesions found to be affecting
innumerable children worldwide in an endemic manner. Bacterial plaque retention, inadequate oral hygiene, and
increased frequency of sugar consumption are considered the primary risk factors causing this lesion. Recent studies
have shown that ECC has an undeniable influence on a child’s growth and development, resulting in early loss of
deciduous dentition, insufficient space for erupting succedaneous teeth, poorly developed speech, and mastication,
which can finally affect the child’s growth physically and psychologically. Hence, it is highly essential that these
carious lesions have to be maintained and prevented in a therapeutically systematic manner, which can benefit
the child. This study presents a review that enhances an update on ECC and details the various contributing
factors and adds up the recent treatment and risk assessment strategies in ascertaining the carious lesions before
its advancement.